Trustees and Presidents: A Podcast for University Leaders On College Athletics

Tim Nevius, founder of Nevius Legal and FAIR Sports, discusses the evolving landscape of college athletics, NIL agreements, and revenue-sharing models. He explains FAIR’s role in dispute resolution for athletes, universities, and stakeholders, offering insights on arbitration, mediation, and contractual complexities in college sports. FAIR’s website is  https://fairsports.org/

In this insightful episode, Dr. Karen Weaver sits down with Michael LeRoy, a labor and employment relations professor at the University of Illinois, and dive into the implications of NIL contracts and the potential for privatization of collegiate sports. LeRoy reveals surprising details about Big Ten and SEC NIL agreements, the potential sub-licensing of athlete rights, and the looming challenges...

My guest is Thomas Ehrlich, Indiana University's president emeritus, former provost at the University of Pennsylvania and Dean of the Stanford Law School. Tom was a member of the Big Ten's COP/C council (Council of Presidents and Chancellors) when Penn State joined the Big Ten and Bobby Knight roamed the sidelines of Hoosier Basketball. Our conversation dives into college athletics, campus politic...

My guest is Robert Kelchen, Professor of Education Policy and an expert in higher education finance, from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. We cover the Trump administration's "Dear Colleague" letter, to pressures to cut research funding; from retiring the old tropes of the "Flutie Factor" and the "Cinderellas in March Madness" many use to describe the benef...

Join Dr. Karen Weaver as she speaks with sports media experts/consultants John Kosner and Ed Desser about the evolving landscape of college athletics. John and Ed authored the seminal 2021 NCAA Gender Equity Media analysis which identified $80 million of unrealized revenues the NCAA was leaving on the table in their media contracts. Why? Because the NCAA did not believe the women's basketball...

With the 2025 NCAA Convention fast approaching, I wanted to visit with an attorney who is regular conversations with Division I campuses to navigate their futures. They ask my guest tough questions and she provides legal clarity (as best as is possible in this crazy upside down era). Kelleigh Irwin Fagan  is a former college athlete-she co-founded the Sports Law practice at  Church Church Hittle +...

Hello, and welcome to the 150th episode of  Trustees and Presidents ! I’m Karen Weaver.   Today, we’re diving into a topic that’s at the center of the storm in college athletics— change . Why is it so challenging for college athletics to adapt to this new era of likely revenue sharing, NIL, and its evolving role in campus life? Change has become the defining word for both higher education and coll...

My guest today is a game-changer—both on the national stage and on his own campus.   He’s one of the leading voices in NCAA Division III governance and transformation. As the newly appointed chair of the NCAA Division III Presidents Council, he represents over 430 colleges and universities and 44 voting conferences, advocating for student-athletes and shaping the future of college sports. Oh, and...

I'm joined on the podcast by President Geoffrey S. Mearns, the 17th president of Ball State University. Since 2017, he’s led initiatives like *Destination 2040: Our Flight Path*, driving record-breaking enrollment, alumni engagement, and fundraising, while shaping the University’s long-term vision.   Joining him is Dr. Jon A. Steinbrecher, Commissioner of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) since 20...

Small, private colleges in the Philadelphia area are undergoing significant financial   philanthropy to stabilize. Institutions can stand out for their financial resilience; others show promising signs of recovery through strategic adaptations; still others,seem to be looking at a dim future. I'm joined today by two exceptional reporters at the Philadelphia Inquirer who have closely followed the f...

Welcome to today’s episode, where we're diving into one of the most pivotal and complex topics in college athletics today. I'm Dr. Karen Weaver, and joining me are two leading experts in the field, Dr. Steve Dittmore , Dean at the University of North Florida, and Washington Post reporter Jesse Dougherty. Together, we’ll unravel the challenges facing small colleges as they navigate athletics and fi...

Welcome to the podcast! Today, we’re joined by Dr. Eric N. Monday, Executive Vice President at the University of Kentucky, as he shares insights on the role of UK’s brand in the community and the evolving landscape of college athletics. We discuss revenue challenges, private equity, infrastructure investments, and the future of student-athlete opportunities. Dr. Monday also discusses Kentucky’s st...

Today I'm joined by three journalists from the Washington Post to discuss their deeply reported series on NIL and college athletics. Albert Samaha  is a sports investigative reporter at The Washington Post and author of two books. His latest book, "Concepcion: Conquest, Colonialism, and an Immigrant Family’s Fate," was a finalist for the 2021 National Book Critics Circle Award in Autobiography. Hi...

Welcome to the podcast! I’m Karen Weaver, and today we’re tackling the evolving world of college athletics with my guest, the legendary John Canzano, reporter, owner of the substack site Bald Faced Truth and radio host. John’s career has given him a front-row seat to the conversations happening at the highest levels of college sports, with university presidents. We’re digging into the major shifts...

Welcome to today's episode, where we’ll dive into the latest developments in the House v NCAA case. It’s a legal battle that could transform college sports forever., The attorneys in this case filed a revised settlement proposal aiming to address key concerns expressed by the Judge in this case, including the controversial term "boosters."  For those unfamiliar, a "booster" refers to individuals o...

My guest today is Dr. Welch Suggs, Associate Professor in journalism and mass communications at the University of Georgia. Welch and his colleagues had a study published in Spring 2024 with the journal Research in Higher Education that may be interesting for university leaders to consider. Simply speaking, adding a college football team may not be the enrollment panacea once believed.   The conver...

The 2024 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball tournament broke all kinds of viewership records. From Iowa and Caitlin Clark, to Angel Reese and LSU, to Dawn Staley's undefeated and national champion USC Gamecocks, it was a tournament to remember. I've invited Jill Bodensteiner back to the podcast to take us inside the NCAA team selection process for this marquee event. Take a peek behind...

Jim Cavale, founder and Chairman of Athletes.org, joins the podcast. Athletes.org, serves as a players association for college athletes. It is dedicated to maximizing their income, amplifying their voices, and providing on-demand support for key decisions as they navigate college athletics and beyond. AO enables college athletes to have a say in crucial matters affecting their future.    The Ameri...

Today we welcome back Jason Belzer, CEO of Student-Athlete NIL (SANIL), a company that is leading the field in athletes leveraging their NIL opportunities. Jason launched the Student Athlete NIL Summit in Atlanta in 2023 (attracting over 500 athletes) and  his company today supports over 1500 athletes in managing their NIL contracts and transactions.   Jason is at the forefront of navigating the e...

Joining me for the conversation today is the Big Ten Conference’s Chief Medical Officer, Jim Borchers. Jim is the former Ohio State team physician and current president of the US Council for Athlete Health. We discuss the growing challenges facing athletic healthcare professionals, including burnout among athletic trainers, pressures from coaches and parents, need for independent medical authority...

Val Ackerman, Commissioner of the Big East Conference joins the podcast for a wide-ranging discussion on the substantial changes in college athletics, particularly as they impact schools that do not play big-time football. Called basketball-centric schools, they have to navigate the transfer portal, NIL, conference realignment and other tidal waves at a time where their primary revenue source is s...

Today I’m joined by Jill Bodensteiner, the Vice President and Director of Athletics at Saint Joseph’s University. Jill is a member of several key NCAA DI Committees imagining the future of college athletics. Ironically, it was 20 years ago this month that the St. Joe’s men’s basketball team was at the top of the world. Undefeated and ranked #1 in the nation, the team brought excitement to campus t...

On today’s podcast, we discuss the opportunities and challenges in streaming hundreds of live events from Division II and III campuses. The money is nowhere near the millions pouring in to some Division I programs, so the question becomes what makes it worth the significant effort?   My guests today are Steve Ulrich, a pioneer in media and tech usage when he was the long time commissioner of the C...

My guests today are two national leaders in the college athlete’s rights space. Congresswoman Lori Trahan from Massachusetts has been an outspoken advocate for college sports reform and for strengthening Title IX compliance. Chase Griffin, UCLA Quarterback and National NIL Athlete of the Year, recently appeared at a Congressional hearing and spoke of the synergies NIL opportunities have with the p...

On the podcast, we welcome back Dr. Holden Thorp , Editor in Chief of Science, and Professor of Chemistry and Medicine at George Washington University. Holden has closely followed the challenges the Atlantic Coast Conference faces. With Florida State in open revolt and trying to leave the ACC as soon as they can, to the internal political battles that loom over any moves by North Carolina, North C...